February 26 – March 6: New Orleans, Mardi Gras, Parades, Plantations, Swamp Tours, Crusin’ the Mississippi

by terryandcarol5thwheeling

Mardi Gras colours, purple, green and gold greet our arrival into Louisiana.  Purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power.   We arrive at Pontchartrain Landing and are pleased to be on a canal just off Lake Pontchartrain.  The staff say fishing from the bank is allowed and that the fish are biting.  They have cabins, floating villas, motel rooms and 80 RV sites.    Even the over flow was full.  The shuttle to the French Quarter is now a 2 bus shuttle.  The RV Park was built on what was an industrial warehouse that was wiped out by Katrina  The 6′ cement fence across the road from the RV Park had water running over it into the neighbouring residential area during the hurricane.

We drive down to the French Quarter to attend the New Orleans School of Cooking on St. Louis and Decatur Street.  Parking was $22 for the day, with the price escalating to $50 the next day.  We will be taking the $6 shuttle from the RV Park from now on. Approximately 30 out of a possible 40 seats are occupied by 5 men and 25 women.  Pat, our instructor, entertained and enlightened us on the life, history and cooking  of New Orleans.  Her talk was so educational I offered to pay for a copy which unfortunately for me is not written but based on questions people ask and her knowledge.

Shrimp Creole being served – view from ceiling mirror

Shrimp Creole

We were served yummy biscuit and molasses syrup, the visitors poured it on the halved biscuit, the resident poured it on the plate and broke off a piece and dipped.  Great coffee, iced tea and a local microbrewery beer were offered.  This was an observation class – so no work just eating.  We received copies of all the recipes.

1st Course:  Corn & Shrimp Bisque;  2nd Course:  Shrimp Creole; 3rd Course:  Pralines; 4th Course:  Banana Foster

The guys didn’t want to come with us but at the end of class I was able to get them leftover Shrimp Creole and Banana Foster.  This is definitely a recommendation and for $25 the spouse should come even if its just for the food.

We took a carriage ride through the French Quarter and strolled through the French Market enjoying the quiet before the storm.

Private residence in the French Quarter

Friday, February 28

Plantation Tour Day – We drove 45 miles SW of the RV Resort on miles and miles of raised concrete roadways over water and swamp land.  Our first stop is Oak Alley Plantation for lunch which did not disappoint.   The live oaks lining the gated front driveway is breathtaking.  Opposite the driveway is the Mississippi River Levy, sloping away from the road approximately 30′  high.  We climb to the top of the levy and three freighters pass by us.

Front driveway to Oak Alley Plantation

Delicious lunch

Dessert

Then to Laura Plantation for a 70 minute guided tour of Laura’s Creole Family Saga telling the story of 200 years of this sugar plantation. This plantation was built in 1805 and Laura was the third generation of women who were presidents of the family plantation.  Listening to the disregard and cruelties the slaves suffered compared to the life of the plantation owners and the high degree of importance they placed on their own family was difficult to hear.  But as the tour guide said “It was just the way it was”.  The tour of plantation was so informative and fascinating, if anyone is interested just google it.

Laura Plantation note the water flow through under the house. This house was built well before modern levy’s when floods were frequent.

Refrigeration – 1800’s. These glazed urns were dug into the ground where due to the high water table the cool water kept food from spoiling.

Original basement beams, note the numerals etched at Laura’s construction 200 years ago

The banana plants on the plantation had all frozen due to the unseasonable cold weather.  They will be cut back and new growth will quickly reappear.  The sugar cane plants were greening up and new growth was about 4″.  Tractors and fertilizer equipment were lined up in the fields.

Among the Plantation assets are the names, age and job description of the slaves.

Frozen banana trees

Japanese Magnolia

The RV Resort held a Mardi Gras Parade and Party starting at 8:30, a one float parade with lots of throws and a surprising fireworks display.  We gathered in the upstairs restaurant/lounge to listen to music and visit.

Saturday, March 1

With the promise of a warm, sunny day we board the shuttle with our lawn chairs and cooler.  The spot to be is St. Charles Street where the parade crosses onto Canal Street.  St Charles Street is close to the end and the float participants will be wanting to get rid of all their throws we were told.   St. Charles street is a 4 lane street as is Canal Street which is the western border of the French Quarter.  Soon we are visiting with all our new neighbours while waiting for the parades to start.  As I sat and reflected on this event unfold I realize it is more than I could imagine.  We are sitting in front of metal police barracks that line the gutter on both sides of the street where the parades will go by.  Behind us are three rows of people half sitting in lawn chairs they had bought, the other half wishing they were, the people standing behind us with nets did catch the majority of throws. Behind the parade attendees is a one person wide pedestrian pathway walking or waiting for the tide to shift so they can begin to move forward.  The other side of the street is the same.

It may be hard to spot, but you can see kids sitting on the ladders

Across the street are numerous 5 step, step-ladders, where people have ingeniously built seats on top of the ladder that will hold up to 3 children.  The platform is 4′ long and about 12″ wide with back supports, dividers and a bar over the front to keep the kids in.  A parent always stood on the back of the ladder to catch throws and steady the ladder.  New regulations this year have moved the ladders 8 feet from the front of the sidewalk because they were being tipped over by people reaching for throws.  Some of the these platforms use many ladders and parade goers have brought living room and kitchen furniture, the new regulations specifically ban these items now.

What a beauty, eh?

Elvis, Elvis and more Elvis

A new neighbour was hit by a throw Friday night and it broke off a portion of her front tooth, her husband has a bruised cheek from a throw.  They have a friend whose friend rides on a float.  Each float participant must supply their own throws at a cost of $2000.  They pay $900 for a spot on the float and they have annual dues to pay to the Krewe they belong to.  The majority of the people on the floats are 50+ caucasian.  The school marching bands were 90% non-caucasian some were very poorly equipped with no regard to ergonomics given.  We were seeing them at mile 3 so they were a very tired bunch.  All the bands had a vehicle following where exhausted member could recover, they also had band supporters who walked and  carried water for the students.  Only 1 band wore track pants and t-shirts, with the hot weather the kids in the heavy military style uniforms, some wearing helmets, had lost their umph. The cheerleaders who accompanied the marching bands were wearing boots, some with taps, imagine walking 3 miles in that, omg.

“Iris Rocks” theme floats

“Rock ettes”

The little one was very young.

The 10:45 parade arrives at 1 pm and the first two parades were continuous for 4 hours.  We watched the Krewe of Iris, the Krewe of Tucks and the Krewe of Endymion at 7 pm.  The police presence was strong.  We never felt unsafe, though we did hear that pick-pockets especially enjoyed the parades.  Coolers and lawn chairs left were undisturbed.  Both Terry and I got bonked on the head from 2nd level float throws while watching for 1st level throws.  It is crazy, the throws are cheap, cheap made in China crap, that people compete to get.  There is no recycle, a good 1/3 of the stuff ends up crushed in the streets.   We filled a reusable grocery bag full and gave another 1/2 again away and then only raised our arms in self protection.   Some people left with 3 of these bags full. One throw was toilet paper, try to catch this if you can as the port-potties have long run out.  Bring wipes with you!

Motorized easy chairs.

Parade aftermath

I walked into The Pearl, a restaurant on St. Charles Street and framed on the wall were copies of a James Lee Burke book, The Tin Roof, fans of Burke books will recognize that some of his books are based in Louisiana.

With the established themes, it seemed if you could dream it or imagine it there was a float portraying it.  Irreverence is the goal.

Madri Gras is a satire on the lives of kings and queens.  Each Krewe elect a  King and Queen.  An article in the newspaper interviewed one man who had decided he would like to be the King of his Krewe one day and began saving money 16 years ago.  It’s basically a political campaign with gifts given to those within the Krewe who influence others within the Krewe.

Founded in 1917 Iris is the oldest, largest all-female Krewe.  Named for the Goddess of the Rainbow and messenger to the Gods.  “Iris Rocks” was the 2014 theme.

Krewe of Tucks is known for its impudence and great throws.  Began in 1969 by a group of university students who took its name from a bar called Friar Tucks.  This year’s theme was “Tucks Lives the Sportin’ Life.

Krewe of Endymion is a super-krewe.  Founded in 1966 and named for the Olympian god of fertility and eternal youth.  There motto is “Throw until it hurts”.    The theme this year is “An Evening at the Opera”.  A super-super krewe of  2850 men has much larger floats than other Krewe’s, one float this year has 9 trains (semi truck beds) and a celebrity Grand Marshal, Carrie Underwood this year.

The Louisiana Welcome Center told us there are over 60 parades during Mardi Gras, January 6 – March 4.  Thirty-four parades were held during the time we were there.

Sunday, March 2 – Swamp Tour,

A little treat for us before departing – beignets and cafe’ au lait, yummmm

We took the LeFletch Tour which I would not recommend, we did see numerous alligators but the guide was not a nature speaker.  I would try Ultimate Swamp Adventure or Dr. Wagner’s Honey Island Swamp Tours.  On the bus ride out we watched an interesting video called  Hurricane on the Bayou which highlighted the devastation of the wetlands and how this impacted the severity of Katrina.  The building of the levy’s in the 1930’s stopped much of the flooding that each year added nutrients to the land.  The ditching of many canal’s has allowed sea water to flow in and kill the vegetation.  We found the number of canal’s surprising and they range from Florida to Louisiana, straight as an arrow going for miles.   So the natural buffer that once would have sheltered New Orleans has dramatically deteriorated.  Amanda Shaw, a local cajun fiddle player who was 13 at time of filming, lived on the Bayou and film followed her family and how they were effected by the hurricane.

The alligator is 2 years old

About 11 feet long our guide said

Bayou not a canal

Monday March  3

Steamboat Natchez cruise on the Mississippi River.  Eating lunch and listening to jazz while cruising down the Mississippi was an enjoyable way to spend a cool, windy Monday afternoon while in the Big Easy.   Hurricane Katrina damage is still easily found, repairs continue on the docks and during our travels around the city as well.

Paddlewheeler

cargo ship waiting to load

Homes can be seen with holes cut through the roofs.  As we sail back to dock we see a music festival and wander over.  Zulu Lundi(means Monday) Gras Festival  has two stages, numerous food and craft tents and is free.  Little Amanda Shaw, all grown up is playing and we enjoyed listening to her and watching her dance up a storm to help her to keep warm while on the stage.

Tuesday, March 4

Record cold and rains greet us Tuesday morning.  In the afternoon we troupe to the shuttle, me bundled in my down filled jacket, underwear, double socks, toque, gloves and rain cape.  We had watched the morning parade on live cam on the internet.  Pretty sparse crowds.  On Canal Street the mess left from the wilting throws is crazy, we have to pay attention as we walk as the many beads are difficult to walk on.  We try to avoid the puddles, finally decide to seek warmth in a restaurant, all are crowded with eager costumed Mardi Gras people dressed in layers and rain capes drying by their side.  Bourbon street is crowded, maybe the antifreeze will keep the masses from catching colds.  They are unconcerned.

Mardi Gras is a huge business, costumes, floats, throws, require many people to run efficiently.  It is a well oiled machine now.  Each morning as we departed the shuttle the street were clean, I could still smell the soap and disinfectant and see the bubbles in the street gutters.  A couple of hours later it returned to a sticky bead strewn mess.  My shoes became tacky just walking on the street in the Bourbon Street area. The rest of the French Quarter was pretty good but Bourbon, Royal and Canal Street were a mess.  People walked around carrying drinks in fish bowls.  It is legal to carry drinks in to go cups. There was a huge police presence and we always felt safe.

A clean street

OMG, lol

Bar entrance rules

The ladies making trades – necklaces for a brief showing!!!

I walked into an establishment for a cheap Hurricane not looking at the sign.  Pretty soon I am met by a pretty young thing introducing herself, naive as I am I told her I was happy to meet her too.  Finally looking around I realize I am in a strip club with some dancers on a stage behind glass and I swear this is true, a toothless bartender.  I read this story once in some detective novel.  LOL.

Wednesday, March 5

The 2 1/2 hour city tour proved to be very informative and worthwhile.  Reconstruction is ongoing, we were driven through areas that had 4, 8, 10 feet of water during Katrina.  New Orleans range from 6′ below sea level to 16′ above.  Many residents did eventually return, the times we took a taxi the drivers were gone for 2 years before they returned.  Rugby and Lacrosse were sports brought back to the city by returning residents and are thriving.  Shipping, tourism, oil and gas and the military are the major sources of commerce in the city.

Outside the Louisiana State Museum on display is a 24′ fishing boat used to rescue more than 400 people.  First pressed into service by a doctor desperate to save patients and then by others to continue to rescue those stranded.

The restaurant where we had lunch served no coffee but did offer frozen strawberry daiquiri’ s for a dollar.  New Orleans full of surprises!!